Biblical & Jewish Coins

Lot 3417    Session 11 (9.30am Thursday)    Biblical & Jewish Coins

Estimate $750
Bid at live.noble.com.au

PHOENICIA, Tyre, (c.2nd century B.C. - 1st century A.D.), silver shekel or tetradrachm, (14.090 grams), Jerusalem mint, issued A.D. 45-46, obv. laureate head of Melqarth beardless to right, rev. eagle to left with closed wings, carrying palm, standing on prow of ship, club to left, to left POA ( = 171 [= A.D. 45-46], to right KP over **Q*/M, Phoenician letter between legs, around **TUROU [IERAS KAI] ASULOU*, (cf.S.5918, cf.BMC 210, H.919 [307], RPC 4702). Off small flan size as usual, some dark patina in places, very fine, and very rare for this period in this condition.

RPC notes an unconfirmed example of this date. This piece confirms its existence. The issue is fully discussed by Hendin (pps.288-293). The second group with changed fabric (reduced flan size and use of KP in the field to the right of the eagle) is believed by Meshorer and Hendin to have been struck in Jerusalem (this type found in Israel, the earlier type tends to be found in Lebanon and Syria). The priests required payments to the temple to be made in pure silver and only the Tyre coinage met this requirement. Meshorer states that 'The Jewish authorities not only had to use Tyrian shekels, they also had to mint them. Since the striking of the Tyrian issues was apparently scheduled to be stopped during Augustus rule, the needs of the Temple in Jerusalem compelled the authorities to begin minting of local high quality Tyrian shekels. These special issues are characterised by the letters KP'. An especially interesting section of the Talmud, in Tosephta Kethuboth 13,20, states 'Silver, whenever mentioned in the Pentateuch, is Tyrian silver. What is a Tyrian silver (Coin)? It is a Jerusalemite.' Thus the Talmud itself is telling us that these 'Tyre' shekels are really issues of Jerusalem. They ceased in 65-6 when the Jews began to issue their own shekels in the first revolt. This issue a lifetime issue of Jesus Christ has the most claim to be of the type (30 pieces of silver) that Judas Iscariot received to deliver Christ to the chief priests. (Mathew 26: 14-15).